Squint was surprisingly hard to write because of its grim origins. A friend here in Indonesia was somber one morning, and I asked him why. He told me about a family that had been killed over the weekend. They had sold a piece of land for a lot of money, and on the way from the bank they were ambushed by thieves, and the entire family was killed, including the children. He said some had been beheaded while others had been hanged in the jungle.
This shook me to the core, as I'm sure it's shaken you right now as you read these words. I don't like criminals to get away, and I especially don't like it when children are hurt. After turning these events over in my mind for a few months, I came up with a story that solved the problem. I also tapped into my childhood creativity, when I would often squint and pretend I could move objects with my mind, just like Alexis does.
I don't think the story's perfect, but I guess I love it so much because of the satisfaction I felt by "making things right" in the world once again.
Hope you loved the story as much as I did! Maybe leave me a comment? Or a star? Or add me to some wonderful reading list?
If you'd like to read more about Lexi and her family, you'll want to check out the full collection of short stories (also entitled "Squint") at Amazon or anywhere else eBooks are sold!